Kari Trogen - Author

Kari Trogen has been writing stories since elementary school, when she was the only kid in her class who wanted to stay inside for “Writer's Workshop” rather than play kickball. She liked to read and write stories about orphan girls, islands and, especially, orphan girls on islands! She also loved directing her two little sisters in fairy tale plays.

Kari studied English literature at the University of Alberta in her hometown of Edmonton. It was while living in Surrey, England, during her third year that she realized she wanted to be a professional writer.

Kari received a Master of Arts in English and creative writing from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, where she wrote a creative thesis based on the life of L. M. Montgomery.

Margaret and the Moth Tree began on a trip Kari took with her sisters from Fredericton to Grand Manan Island, when she and her sister Brit decided to try writing a children's story together. They began cowriting the book in 2009 just as Kari moved to Toronto.

While studying book editing at Ryerson University, Kari interned at Kids Can Press, the very publisher who would eventually accept Margaret and the Moth Tree for publication.

Kari now works as a freelance writer in Toronto and lives with her husband, a filmmaker.

She is inspired by all the books and authors she treasured growing up, and she loves getting to meet and talk with children and adults who love stories, too.